Earthquakes defender gets World Cup call up from Honduras

SAN JOSE -- Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez was called to Honduras' World Cup camp Monday and is expected to be Los Catrachos starting center back in Brazil.

Bernardez, 31, is available for the Quakes' two-game homestand starting Wednesday night against the Colorado Rapids at Buck Shaw Stadium. After that, he will be on national team duty probably until Honduras is eliminated from the World Cup.

Bernardez is one of four Major League Soccer players hoping to represent Honduras. Marvin Chavez, who played in San Jose the previous two years before getting traded to Colorado, was called into camp as a midfielder. New England forward Jerry Bengston and Houston midfielder Boniek García also are attending the camp.

The 23-player roster will be named by June 2.

Bernardez, who has 69 career caps with Honduras, helped Los Catrachos reach the World Cup championships through qualification in the North America, Central American and Caribbean region known as CONCACAF. His team finished third behind the United States and Costa Rica.

Bernardez is one of three Earthquakes who have a chance to play in the World Cup that begins in mid June. Bernardez' fellow center back Clarence Goodson is a contender to start for the United States. Chris Wondolowski is among the possible choices at forward for coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

Goodson and Wondolowski also are expected to leave the Quakes next week to join a U.S. training camp at Stanford.

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Bernardez and most of the other Quakes starters did not participate in practice Monday. He could not be reached for comment.

The brawny defender who played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has two goals this season, one of only three Quakes to score so far.

Honduras received a much more favorable draw than the United States, which won CONCACAF qualification. Honduras is in Group E with Ecuador, France and Switzerland. The top two teams will advance to the knockout round.

The United States plays Ghana, Portugal and Germany in what is being called the "Group of Death."